The Opening Drive 8/16: Dillon Gabriel's Opportunity Arrives Today
New preseason week, new rookie starter as Gabriel is cleared.
The Browns were on the verge of a crisis at the quarterback position. Injuries left them on the cusp of having only recently signed Tyler Huntley active for today’s game in Philadelphia. Kenny Pickett’s hamstring injury and Shedeur Sanders’ oblique issue meant only Joe Flacco and Dillon Gabriel were taking full-team snaps this week during joint practice sessions. With Flacco resting ahead of being named the starter, Gabriel’s own hamstring concerns left his status questionable.
We’ve learned this morning that Gabriel is cleared and good to go ahead of the 1 PM kickoff. The team wanted to get him on-site and test the leg, and it seems he is healthy enough to give it a full run. It remains to be seen how long Gabriel will play before handing it over to Huntley, but nonetheless it’s an exciting opportunity for the rookie to start—just as it was the week before for Sanders.
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The day belongs to Gabriel, and the task will be challenging. The Eagles have a wide array of depth on the defensive side of the ball, along with a well-established coordinator in Vic Fangio, who will be ready to get after the Browns’ offense. The offensive line was not a net positive for Sanders last week, so it feels like Gabriel will have to navigate that as well against a talented Eagles group.
As I’ve previously noted, Gabriel has been sharper than Sanders at camp in the details of the position: the operations of the huddle, checks at the line of scrimmage, and protection adjustments. But Sanders has delivered the football more accurately when given opportunities. Gabriel has been on time and in the right places with his eyes, but the delivery of the football has been less than ideal. What I’ll be paying close attention to today is whether Gabriel can navigate those passing windows and deliver the football on time and with accuracy.
I have little doubt the operation will be clean with the rookie today, but the world will be watching closely to see if he can produce a performance that mirrors what Sanders was able to do last week. The competition will be tough in Philadelphia, but Gabriel has to deliver—fair or unfair. There has been loud noise from those covering Browns camp about the issues Gabriel had during the last week of sessions. Today is a great opportunity to quiet that noise. We’ll see if he can rise to the occasion.
Following the game we will be live on the Browns Film Breakdown YouTube Channel with our Post-Game Show. So, come join us. If you’re not with us in a subscriber capacity you’ll want to rectify that. Don’t miss out. I appreciate all of you.
Browns Film Breakdown will return following the action with the usual Game Notes.
